The English soldiers poured out from their places of concealment, and the party which had entered the castle were forced to lay down their arms.In the meantime the Black Prince issued with a small body of troops from a gate near the sea, while De Manny, with the king under his banner, marched by the sally-port which led into the fields.A considerable detachment of the division was despatched to dislodge the enemy at the bridge of Nieullay, and the rest, joining the party of the Black Prince, advanced rapidly upon the forces of Jeffrey de Charny which, in point of numbers, was double their own strength.
Although taken in turn by surprise the French prepared steadily for the attack.De Charny ordered them all to dismount and to shorten their lances to pikes five feet in length.The English also dismounted and rushing forward on foot a furious contest commenced.The ranks of both parties were soon broken in the darkness, and the combatants separating into groups a number of separate battles raged around the different banners.
For some hours the fight was continued with unabating obstinacy on both sides.The king and the Black Prince fought with immense bravery, their example encouraging even those of their soldiers who were ignorant of the personality of the knights who were everywhere in front of the combat.King Edward himself several times crossed swords with the famous Eustace de Ribaumont, one of the most gallant knights in France.At length towards daybreak the king, with only thirty companions, found himself again opposed to De Ribaumont with a greatly superior force, and the struggle was renewed between them.
Twice the king was beaten down on one knee by the thundering blows of the French knight, twice he rose and renewed the attack, until De Charny, seeing Sir Walter Manny's banner, beside which Edward fought, defended by so small a force, also bore down to the attack, and in the struggle Edward was separated from his opponent.
The combat now became desperate round the king, and Sir Guy Brian, who bore De Manny's standard, though one of the strongest and most gallant knights of the day, could scarce keep the banner erect.Still Edward fought on, and in the excitement of the moment, forgetting his incognito, he accompanied each blow with his customary war-cry - "Edward, St.George! Edward, St.
George!" At that battle-cry, which told the French men-at-arms that the King of England was himself opposed to them, they recoiled for a moment.
The shout too reached the ears of the Prince of Wales, who had been fighting with another group.Calling his knights around him he fell upon the rear of De Charny's party and quickly cleared a space around the king.
The fight was now everywhere going against the French, and the English redoubling their efforts the victory was soon complete, and scarcely one French knight left the ground alive and free.In the struggle Edward again encountered De Ribaumont, who, separated from him by the charge of De Charny, had not heard the king's war-cry.The conflict between them was a short one.The French knight saw that almost all his companions were dead or captured, his party completely defeated, and all prospects of escape cut off.He therefore soon dropped the point of his sword and surrendered to his unknown adversary.In the meantime the troops which had been despatched to the bridge of Nieullay had defeated the French forces left to guard the passage and clear the ground towards St.Omer.
Early in the morning Edward entered Calais in triumph, taking with him thirty French nobles as prisoners, while two hundred more remained dead on the field.That evening a great banquet was held, at which the French prisoners were present.The king presided at the banquet, and the French nobles were waited upon by the Black Prince and his knights.After the feast was concluded the king bestowed on De Ribaumont the chaplet of pearls which he wore round his crown, hailing him as the most gallant of the knights who had that day fought, and granting him freedom to return at once to his friends, presenting him with two horses, and a purse to defray his expenses to the nearest French town.
De Charny was afterwards ransomed, and after his return to France assembled a body of troops and attacked the castle which Edward had bestowed upon Almeric of Pavia, and capturing the Lombard, carried him to St.Omer, and had him there publicly flayed alive as a punishment for his treachery.
Walter had as usual fought by the side of the Prince of Wales throughout the battle of Calais and had much distinguished himself for his valour.
Ralph was severely wounded in the fight, but was able a month later to rejoin Walter in England.
The battle of Calais and the chivalrous bearing of the king created great enthusiasm and delight in England, and did much to rouse the people from the state of grief into which they had been cast by the ravages of the plague.The king did his utmost to maintain the spirit which had been evoked, and the foundation of the order of the Garter, and the erection of a splendid chapel at Windsor, and its dedication, with great ceremony, to St.George, the patron saint of England, still further raised the renown of the court of Edward throughout Europe as the centre of the chivalry of the age.
Notwithstanding many treaties which had taken place, and the near alliance which had been well-nigh carried out between the royal families of England and Spain, Spanish pirates had never ceased to carry on a series of aggressions upon the English vessels trading in the Bay of Biscay.Ships were every day taken, and the crews cruelly butchered in cold blood.
Edward's remonstrances proved vain, and when threats of retaliation were held out by Edward, followed by preparations to carry those threats into effect, Pedro the Cruel, who had now succeeded to the throne of Spain, despatched strong reinforcements to the fleet which had already swept the English Channel.
